Arsonist Paying For Crime

Sacramento, CA — A Mother Lode State Senator touts a bill that enhances the penalty for arsonists. Senator Tom Berryhill authored the SB930 bill that has passed the Senate Public Safety Committee. The legislation has the arsonist paying for property damage including the costs of fighting the fire.

Senator Berryhill says, “Whether it is your house, your property or, as in the case of the Rim Fire, our precious forests. I want arsonists to know they are going to be held accountable for not only the damages they do to property but for the cost of fighting the fire.”

The bill would reinstate a statute that expired this January. That statute defined aggravated arson to include damages that exceed $6.5 million. Berryhill’s bill extends the statute to January 1, 2019 and adjusts the amount to $7 million due to inflation.

Contact Your Local Representatives; US Congressional Rep. 4th District Tom McClintock, US Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, 5th Assembly District Frank Bigelow and 8th District State Senator Andreas Borgeas in our Community Guide Government Section here.